U.S. Open: Top Seed Takes on Defending Champ

Can anyone slow down the chest-thumping Serb?

Federer was beaten in a classic, while Murray went out with a whimper. Now the top two tennis players in world are preparing to square off on the world’s grandest stage.

Nadal stumbled through the first four rounds, but suddenly found his legs and his confidence in the quarters against Roddick. Djokovic basically cruised through the entire tournament until he ran into a red hot Roger Federer. But even when he was down two match points - Djokovic rose to the challenge.

Rafa versus Novak is such an intriguing matchup. Rafa was once the most CONFIDENT and most ruthless player in the world. He swung for the fences and was always ready to live by the sword and die by the sword. These qualities led him to ten major titles and he really should have won Wimbledon this year.

But then you look at Novak Djokovic – it was not his skill, but rather his confidence that propelled him past Nadal in the Wimbledon final. And as where Rafa once had that unbeatable swagger about him – it now is firmly in the hands of Djokovic.

Never was the Djokovic confidence more glaringly apparent than against Roger Federer in the semis of this year’s U.S. Open. Federer had Djokovic beaten – a comeback was not only unlikely, it was nearly impossible. On his second match point, Federer ripped a punishing serve wide to Djoko's forehand side – The legendary reply was one of most devastating forehand service return winners in the history of the tournament. You have to believe your own hype to take a swing like that to erase a match point with such authority.

That mind-numbing forehand told Federer all he needed to know – this match was over.

It’s hard for me to endorse a tennis player who was actually beating his chest for the crowd after his semifinal win. But just because Djokovic acts like he’s on a casting call for Return of the Planet of the Apes, doesn’t mean he isn’t best tennis player alive right now. Rafa is an amazing champion and a lion-hearted competitor – but he will need his best to have any chance to stop chest thumping number one player in the world – Novak Djokivic.

Unless Rafa can regain his swagger – take Djokovic in four sets over Nadal.

Get Ready for Djokovic vs. Murray - Act Two

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, owners of 26 grand slam titles between them, are both in amazing form as they head into this year’s U.S. Open Semis. The only problem is, neither one of them is likely to be around to contend for the U.S. Open Championships on Monday. Andy Murray has been my pick to win his first grand slam tournament since the U.S. Open began and I see no reason to change that prediction now. But first, let’s look at the Federer – Djokovic matchup.

Federer is still a terrible threat to Novak Djokovic on almost any surface, but not on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows. There was a time not so long ago, when Federer was unbeatable in New York – but those days have crept by us now. The list of people who can beat Federer regularly on hard courts is terribly short - sporting only three men. The problem is that all three of them, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray are the three remaining men in the draw.

Federer has the skills, but has lost about a half a step in the past year and that’s all Djokovic needs. The Serb is brimming with confidence and has never looked back since stunning Federer in last year’s U.S. Open semi finals. He’s captured two grand slam titles this year and is hungry to put the U.S. Open on his resume.

Take Djokovic in 3, possibly 4 sets.

Nadal and Murray represent the other half of the draw and this is really Andy’s time to shine and finally join the grand slam club. Nadal is playing his best tennis of the fortnight, but he doesn’t have the firepower to overcome Murray - if Andy can keeps his wits about him. This is the eighth time the Scot has made it to a Grand Slam semis in his last 17 majors.

Hard courts are Murray’s best surface and after losses in three different grand slam finals – He has the seasoning at the age of 24 to capture this year’s U.S. Open and end the dizzying drought for the United Kingdom. You can’t sell Nadal short because he is the defending champion. But Nadal has lost a lot of the sting on his serve that led him to last year’s title. Unless he can conjure up that booming serve again, Murray will prevail.

As Nadal, Djokovic and Federer have grabbed slam after slam – Murray has been steadily improving. He is playing smart and composed tennis and if he can break out of his own head, he will overcome Nadal and stamp his invitation into the U.S. Open Finals.

Take Murray in four tough sets!

Murray Ready for Break Out at 2011 U.S. Open

Murray is fit and ready to grab his first Grand Slam title.

2011 has been pretty good to me so far, correctly predicting the winners of 2 of the last 3 slams. I picked the Djoker to snag the Aussie and Nadal to capture the French. Rafa let me down at Wimbledon, but I'm obviously hoping to go 3 for 4 by picking the man that no one is really talking about – 4th-seeded Andy Murray.

Between Rafa and the Serb, Murray is really the forgotten man at the 2011 U.S. Open and that will come back to haunt the experts. The Scot has a tough draw with arch-nemesis and former U.S. Open champ, Juan Martin Del Potro possibly looming in the quarters. Murray and Del Potro have a mean-spirited history with each other dating back to the Italian Open in 2008, but should Murray prevail, the U.S. Open is his for the taking.

Murray is in the Nadal half of the draw and has had an amazing 2011 campaign reaching the finals in Australia and the semis at both the French and Wimbledon. Make no mistake, Murray’s best surface is the hard courts and he was a finalist at the U.S. Open 2008.

Djokovic is obviously the favorite, but like it or not, Djokovic proved once again during Cincinnati in August that he's still a quitter. Murray was giving him a good thumping in the final when Novak quit before Murray could finish him off.

It's not the first time Djokovic has called it quits while losing a match. This was actually the 8th time Djokovic has quit in the middle of match that he was losing, not to mention the fact he has defaulted a total of four times during Grand Slam play.

Going back to Murray – he has a long history of being his own worst enemy – but he is the only player on the circuit right now who has what is takes to knock Djokovic off of his perch.

The drought for the U.K. has to end some time – and it will be Murray who hoists the trophy in New York when all is said and done.

Djokovic Stings Nadal with Familiar Form of Intimidation

Nadal shrinks away from the Djokovic challenge at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal has fallen victim to the very same spell he cast over Roger Federer more than five years ago.

That was when the young Spaniard named Rafael Nadal became a splinter in the mind of the game’s most dominant player, Roger Federer. Back then, Federer was a tennis deity who firmly believed that no one alive could threaten him on any surface. Then came Nadal – And after just a few close losses, the seed of intimidation was planted deep into the psyche of Roger Federer.

From that point on, Federer forever lived in fear of Nadal. Federer was faced with an intimidation factor he never dreamed was possible and it cost him every time he stepped onto the court with Nadal. Nadal’s game played a factor in Federer’s problems, but the bottom line was, “Federer did not play like Federer against Nadal.”

Fast-forward to this year, and Rafael Nadal is writhing in the grip of his own inner demons – an intimidation factor he never thought possible, the bold and brash Novak Djokovic.

Like Federer, Nadal believed that if he was playing at 90%, he was unbeatable. But then Novak won a couple of close matches in a row and Nadal suffered what appeared to be a gradual decline in confidence. WRONG! What appeared to be a slow-moving virus is now a full-blown case of, “I’m scared of that guy!”

This is not to take anything away from the amazing brand of Djokovic tennis, but Nadal did not play like Nadal in the Wimbledon final. Nadal ran scared and instead of trying to win, he played not to lose. The Spaniard is NOW in huge trouble every time he steps of the court with the Serb.

What also makes this so interesting is the fact that Nadal had dominated Djokovic at the majors for so long. That era seems to be over. The Wimbledon final was only one match – but it is likely to set the tone for the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry for the next couple of years. Each Nadal loss against Djoko is worse than the one before, eerily similar to the decline of Federer.

Nadal played tentatively for the first time at a grand slam and it was a disaster. Without his fearlessness, Nadal is just another top three player who will win a stray grand slam here and there, more along the lines of Andy Murray.

What’s great for tennis fans is to see if Nadal can overcome it. Tennis history demonstrates that he probably can’t do it. But make no mistake, the torch has been passed.

Djokovic Grabs Top Spot, but Won’t Claim Wimbledon Title

Look for Djokovic to take the fall against Nadal

Novak Djokovic – This is his time.

When the new rankings come out next week, Djoko will be the number one player in the world according to the ATP computer. What he won’t have is the coveted cup that goes along with the 2011 Wimbledon title.

All signs point Rafael Nadal hoisting up his third Wimbledon trophy in four years.

Djokovic has enjoyed one of the easiest and luckiest grand slam draws in many years. Any time, you can cruise into the Wimbledon finals without playing a single player ranked in the top 15; you are very, very fortunate. Djokovic screamed and howled through every victory, even though he never encountered a top-ranked opponent.

Djokovic looks surprisingly mortal on the grass. His superior movement bogs down on the green stuff down and his unforced errors break into double digits.

The biggest break in the tournament for the Serb came when Roger Federer forgot to close out his QF match against Tsonga.

Tsonga was a pretender, not a contender and Djokovic ate him up on Saturday. Now he's riding high into the championship match having beaten Nadal in four straight finals. However, this is a grand slam and it's being contested on grass. Two pivotal factors that will leave Djokovic on the outside looking in.

It doesn’t matter whether Rafa is ranked 1, 2, or 102 – he is the most ferocious competitor in tennis and he is hungry to claim his third Wimbledon crown.

Rafa certainly won’t be happy to give up his number one ranking to Djokovic on Monday, but securing his eleventh grand slam title by beating him in the final will surely easy the pain.

The Joke is on Djokovic for the 2011 French Open

No one can deny that Novak Djokovic’s 37-match win streak is terribly impressive. He’s rolled over the world’s number one player, Rafael Nadal in four straight finals, twice on hard courts and twice on clay. All signs point to Djokovic marching into Paris and leaving as the conquering hero. Only one problem – it’s not going to happen. The best of five sets will sink Djokovic at the French.

The joke will be on Djoker at the 2011 French Open. Never mind that Sports illustrated is crowing that: ''Novak Djokovic is the most dominant athlete in the world right now.'' The reality is that the best of five sets on the slow red clay of Roland Garros is infinitely more demanding than the best of three affairs where Djokovic has been using Nadal as a punching bag.

Djokovic has markedly improved his fitness. His cockiness and confidence is certainly at an all-time high – but this isn’t his year at the French. His top-heavy spring schedule is about to catch up with him and he doesn’t even know it yet.

If Djokovic gets to the final, his tank will be sputtering on empty. Nadal on the other hand is looking for payback. Just like he took it to Robin Soderling in the 2010 final – Nadal knows that beating Novak on the grand stage will temporarily beat back all the chatter surrounding who people are already calling the new Number One. Also, it remains to be seen if Djokovic has what it takes to outclass Federer on clay.

Besides, did you listen to that silly primal screaming the Djoker unleashed after he beat Nadal in Rome? Try and act like you’ve been there before. It’s hard to imagine what the lad might do if he actually beat Nadal in a grand slam final. It will eventually happen, but not at this year's French.

Ravenous Djokovic Pummels Murray, Claims Second Grand Slam Title

Djokovic overwhelms Murray in grand slam sleeper.

Novac Djokovic hammered Andy Murray in the 2011 Australian Open final, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Both players went into the match full of belief, but it became readily apparent that Murray was no match for the 23-year-old Serb, brimming with confidence after overwhelming Roger Federer in the semis.

The contest was shaping up to be a spirited affair until Djokovic broke Murray ‘s will towards the end of the first set. Murray was serving at 15-30, 4-5 in the first set when both players stretched each other out across the full length of the court with a phenomenal 39-shot rally.

Both players displayed superior defense chasing down sure winners until Novac charged the net and Murray dumped a forehand in the bottom of the net. That gave Djokovic a pair of set points and Murray appeared to be dead in the water after that rally. It stole his spirit and drained his confidence as Djokovic shifted into cruise control, winning the set and running away with the match.

Notice has been served to the tennis world, that Djokovic is now the greatest threat to Nadal’s tennis supremacy. His fitness, confidence and improved serve are the key ingredients that have pushed Djokovic from contender to champion.

Fit and Fiery Djokovic Poised to Punish Murray

Djokovic ready to claim another grand slam title.

Even before David Ferrer extended Andy Murray to four draining sets, third seeded, Novak Djokovic, was and still is the favorite to claim his second Aussie crown in 2011.

Fitness has always been the Achilles heel for Novak, but NOT at this year’s 2011 Australian Open. His fitness is the best of his career and he’s serving lights out getting 69% of his first serves in. This particular tournament has shaped up into a worse case scenario for Murray, who’s also playing top-notch tennis right now.

These two have never faced off before in a major, despite the fact that they have both played in three grand slam finals a piece.

It’s true that Murray has dominated their last three meetings in smaller tournaments, but a major is different. After knocking off Roger Federer in consecutive grand slam tournaments, Djokovic is locked into a world-beater mind set right now and he should be. Anybody not named Rafa, who takes apart Federer in straight sets, has to be the favorite here.

Djokovic’s improved fitness has led to a level of confidence that he hasn’t enjoyed since winning the Australian Open in 2008. He’s dropped only one set on the way to the final and has only had to play a total of ten sets since the third round.

On the flip side, Murray was forced to slug his way out of trouble in both the quarters and the semis, and his mental makeup is not positive. The frustration he displayed against Ferrer and Alexandr Dolgopolov underscores a crack in the armor -- a flaw that will likely be exploited by Djovovic again and again. Prediction: Djovovic in four sets.

Look for Del Potro to Derail Federer’s Win Streak

Del Potro ready to close the book on Federer at the U.S. Open.

The men’s semifinals on Sunday produced some unexpected results – but very little drama. Of course Serena’s meltdown was a tough act to follow.

Rafael Nadal suffered a beat down at the hands of 20-year-old Juan Martin Del Potro. Nadal is the guy who owns the winning record against Federer, but he had no answers for the young man from Argentina.

Del Potro is six-foot-five-inches tall, moves like a cat and serves like cannon. He wiped Nadal off the court 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. No one in recent memory has ever done that to such a fearsome competitor as Nadal.

In the other semi, the score was a little bit closer, but the result was never in doubt. Federer slammed the door on Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 7-6, 7-5, 7-5. Federer never looked the least bit concerned and Djokovic lacked the confidence to pull out the win.

This of course sets the stage for Federer versus Del Potro. Federer has won the last five consecutive U.S. Opens and hasn’t dropped a match here since 2003. That loss was against a different man from Argentina named David Nalbandian, who didn’t even play the tournament this year. Look for the Argentine curse against Federer to resume in the finals on Monday.

Once again, I’m flying into the face of the popular opinion. I think the 20-year-old Del Potro is just what the doctor ordered to bring down the U.S. Open reign of Roger Federer. I picked Del Potro before the tournament began and I’m sticking with him now. Article 8/31/09: Beware the Dark Horse from Argentina

Head to head, Federer owns Del Potro with a flawless record of six wins and no losses. The last time they played on hard court was at the quarters in the Australian Open. Federer humiliated Del Potro down under with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 win.

Hard to argue with stats like that, but Del Potro has found the confidence and the serve needed to win his first grand slam tournament. Forget the past, because the Argentine is ready to make his mark here and now. Watch out "just call me Roger" your incredible win streak will likely end in the finals.

Nadal-Federer Final? -- Don’t Count on It

20-year-old Del Potro prepared to shock the tennis world.

A pair of amazing men’s semifinal matches are on tap for Sunday, but expect the unexpected. Rafael Nadal, who’s fought back from a slew of injuries, will face Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina in the first match of the day. At the conclusion of that match, Roger Federer clashes with the Serb, Novak Djokovic.

Juan Martin Del Potro obviously comes in as the underdog to the six-time grand slam champion, Rafael Nadal this afternoon. Without question, Nadal is one of the most dominant forces in tennis, but he’s not a hundred percent healthy and the 6'5 Juan Martin Del Potro is my pick for this one.

The 2009 U.S. Open Championships will be the coming out party for the 20-year-old Del Potro. He’s a monster on the court with laser-like accuracy and a punishing first serve. Nadal has the heart of a champion, but Del Potro is poised for a major break-through. I picked Del Potro to win the tournament from the start and I’m staying with him - Article: Beware the Dark Horse from Argentina

Look for Del Potro to come through this one in an epic 5-setter.

In the other semi, Roger Federer needs no introduction. He hasn’t lost a match here since 2003 and it would take a Herculean effort from Djokovic to end his streak today. It’s not impossible, Djokovic has beaten him on the grand stage before, but Federer is playing beautiful tennis right now and Djokovic has suffered a few ups and downs.

Federer should make his way to his sixth straight final in four sets.

Fairy Tale Ends for Melanie Oudin – No Surprises for the Men’s Side

Clock Strikes Midnight for Cinderella - Out in Straight Sets

It was a magical week for Melanie Oudin, she made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open and beat some of the best players in the game on the way. But Oudin ran into mirror image of herself on Day 10, the 9th ranked player in the world, Caroline Wozniacki.

Oudin was able to fight back from a set down in each of her previous matches, but it was not to happen in the quarterfinals of the 2009 U.S. Open. Wozniacki was content to keep the ball in play and use a series of angles to beat Oudin in two easy sets, 6-2, 6-2.

On the men’s side, Fernando Verdasco had high hopes in his quarterfinal match against the fourth seed, Novak Djokovic. Djokovic appeared to be on his heels throughout the first set, but somehow managed to steal the first set tiebreaker by a score of 7-2.

Instead of going away, the loss in the tiebreaker seemed to pump Verdasco up. He tore into Djokovic, who seemed to wilt under the pressure losing the second set 6-1. After a rash of unforced errors and poor service games, the Serb did his best to hang in there and survive the 3rd set.

At 5-5 in third, Djokovic played his best game of the match and ended up running away with the whole thing by a final score of 7-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2. His reward for the big win is a semifinal clash with the man who’s won 39 straight matches and five straight titles here at the U.S. Open, none other than Roger Federer.

It took four sets for the top seed to put away Robin Soderling 6-0, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6. Federer advances to his 22nd straight Grand Slam semifinal. 22 straight semifinals?? That’s two short of six straight years - where his worst performance at a major was a semifinal appearance. I could write the same thing about six more times and it still wouldn't make sense.

U.S. Open Day 10 Preview: Melanie Oudin Making Life Miserable for Top Seeds

Melanie Oudin has her opponents literally talking to themselves on the court. What happened to them? They were up a set, seemingly in control and suddenly they were being escorted off the grounds. It’s as if they were having a bad daydream, "What, didn't I win?"

If I were coaching her 19-year-old opponent, 9th seeded Caroline Wozniacki, I would tell her to play the entire quarterfinal match as if she were down a set and a break. 

She'll have to if she wants to advance to her first grand slam semifinal, because the 17-year-old Oudin has "Braveheart Syndrome." She’d launch herself over a game of checkers to beat you. Oudin says of her opponents ‘they know that I’m not going away, they’ll have to beat me.’ She means it, too.

The edge goes to Oudin here. Throw out the rankings and look at the way the young American has won her matches. She’s willing to grind or go for broke, whatever it takes to win. Her confidence is sky-high and she will have the raucous support of an entire nation behind her.

The other quarterfinal match pits the 50th ranked Yanina Wickmayer against the 52nd ranked Kateryna Bondarenko. This is what happens when 8 of the top 10 seeds get knocked out on the women’s side too early.

On the men’s side, the Andys are long gone, but there is still a field full of challengers left for the world’s number one, Roger Federer. Fed takes on Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals, the Giant Swede he conquered at this year’s French Open to claim his career Grand Slam.

Soderling has been playing big tennis all week long, but this is Federer. He hasn’t lost a match in New York since the Dutch settled the colony back in 1609. I doubt Soderling will be able to take a set unless Roger gets very bored.

However, there is one guy on the top half of the draw who’s actually managed to beat Federer a few times. Novak Djokovic from Serbia boasts four wins in 12 meetings against Federer. Djokovic meets Fernando Verdasco in his quarterfinal match. 

Verdasco is a tough and capable opponent, but I don’t believe he has what it takes to win three sets off of Djokovic. The Serb should push through in three to four sets.

Labor Day Preview: Teen Sensation Melanie Oudin Puts “Red Scare” into Petrova

Melanie Oudin’s coming out party has been nothing short of spectacular at the 2009 U.S. Open Championships and this Labor Day should be no different. Today Oudin continues her Russian assault taking on the 13th ranked player in the world, Nadia Petrova.

If you’ve been following the tournament, you know Oudin has already escorted two Russian powerhouses out the door including Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva. Expect the “red scare” to continue against Petrova at Arthur Ashe this afternoon.

The Williams sisters are off today, but there is a former U.S. Open Champion and two-time grand slam winner lurking in the women’s draw. That woman is 6th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova who plays the 9th seed, from Denmark, Caroline Wozniacki. You have to give the nod to Kuznetsova who's been flying under the radar since the tournament began.

Turning to the men’s side, Roger Federer should have a trouble-free afternoon when he takes on Tommy Robredo. However, the next round could provide more of a challenge for Fed if has to play Robin Soderling, the man who conquered Nadal at the French. At 6'4, the 12th seeded Soderling is an imposing figure with a big serve. He got a huge boost in confidence after advancing to the finals of this year's French Open where he lost to none other than Roger Federer.

Soderling, however, has to get to the next round first. He will have his hands full this afternoon against a rejuvenated Nikolay Davydenko.

The fourth seed, Novak Djokovic should also have a relatively stress-free 4th round encounter against Radek Stepankek.

The best matchup on the men’s side this afternoon may come from the man who blew Andy Roddick out of this year’s draw. Six-foot-nine-inch John Isner is back today and playing the 10th seeded Fernando Verdasco. This match should produce some sparkling tennis and a possible upset.

Seeds Fall, Safina Double Faults Her Way to Victory

             15 double faults equals almost 4 games

Somehow, the top-seeded Dinara Safina is still here with us here at the U.S. Open. She is turning the double fault into an art form. Safina survived a rash of unforced errors and 15 DOUBLE FAULTS to sneak into the 3rd round with a dismal 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 win over the 67th ranked Kristina Barrois. The sad truth is that Safina actually played better today than she did in the first round.

The 4th seed Elena Dementieva and the 5th seed Jelena Jankovic were not so lucky. Both players will have plenty of time to explore the Big Apple during the upcoming Labor Day Weekend after being whisked away by a pair of unseeded opponents.

Dementieva ran into an unexpected challenge from a scrappy powerhouse named Melanie Oudin and Jankovic says she was emotionally drained by the death of grandmother the night before the match.

Jankovic looked confused for most of the day as she dropped a 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 decision to Yaroslava Shvedova from Kazakhstan. (cue the theme from Borat)

Two of the top nine seeds on the women’s side held true to their rankings today. #6 Svetlana Kuznetsova and #9 Caroline Wozniacki both cruised into the 3rd round with a pair of straight set victories.

Maria Sharapova also continued her dominating comeback with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 thumping of Christina McHale from Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Day 4 was a good day for American tennis on the men’s side. Andy Roddick was the last of the red, white and blue victors winning a convincing match over the Frenchman, Marc Gicquel 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Other Americans moving into the 3rd round on Day 4 included James Blake, Sam Querrey, John Isner and even the 276th ranked player in the world, Jesse Witten.

4th seeded Novak Djokovic had no problem toppling his 6-foot, 6-inch opponent, Carsten Ball in straight sets. Joko still remains on a collision course with Andy Roddick in a potential quarterfinal clash next week.

Day 4 Preview: Venus, Why on Earth are you Playing Doubles?

Tell me a secret, "Why aren't you resting?"

Professional doubles players, please forgive me, but you must agree -- that winning a grand slam singles title would be preferable to winning the doubles title. I’m not being rude, just throwing it out there.

Venus Williams is hobbled right now. She’s hurting and for the second fastest woman in the game, (Serena is Faster) Venus needs to be taking it easy between singles matches, not hopping around on the doubles court. That being said, you can catch Venus and her kid sis Serena mixing it up on the Grand Stand Court this afternoon against Julia Goerges and Arantxa Parra Santonja. The best thing that could befall Venus in this situation is a painless and calculated default.

Moving on to the women’s singles draw, top-seeded Dinara Safina has a chance to get her act together and forget about her first round performance. Getting some second serves in would be a terrific start.

Maria Sharapova is in good shape today squaring off against a 17-year-old named Christina McHale from Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

4th seeded Elena Dementieva is taking on another American teenager named Melanie Oudin. Melanie, from Marietta, Georgia created quite a stir this summer by reaching the 4th round of Wimbledon.

Turning to the men’s side, Novak Djokovic is the highest seed in action today and should have little trouble with the six-foot-six-inch giant from Down Under, Carsten Ball. 5th seeded Andy Roddick plays the last match of the evening on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Marc Gicquel from France.

Day 2 Drama - Safina Looks Lost, Ivanovic Out

         Safina barely avoids a top-seeded collapse

The first round is supposed be a relatively easy affair for the top seeds in a Grand Slam event. This U.S. Open has held true to that form with one glaring exception. We’re not talking about Venus – yes, she struggled, but she was dealing with knee issues. No, we’re talking about the top seed, Dinara Safina.

Her performance was dismal. I’m still in shock that you can play such sloppy tennis and win at the professional level. The UNFORCED ERRORS, double faults and all around bad play made this one tough to stomach. She needs to the right the ship or that top ranking will become a thing of the past.

On the topic of Safina being number one – there are many people who believe that she does not deserve the number one ranking. I disagree. There may be better players out there (like the Williams sisters) but Safina’s ranking is based on her performance this year. Although she has yet to win a major, she’s won 3 tournaments this year and done no worse than reaching the finals of two slams and the semis at Wimbledon. She’s won a tour best 52 matches this year, so the numbers speak for themselves. The other tournaments count too – otherwise, why play them?

11th seeded Ana Ivanovic got her first round walking papers on Day 2 from Kateryna Bondarenko – Ana faltered in a 3rd set tiebreaker and is playing with very little confidence right now.

On the good news front – Maria Sharapova looked dominating in her first round match and could become the story of the tournament. Look for her to be around next week.

Other seeds ran into little resistance booking their 2nd round invitations including the 4th seed, Elena Dementieva and the 6th seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The top seeds on the men's side avoided any significant drama on Day 2 with Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray all advancing in straight sets.

Murray faced a rather stiff challenge against the Latvian giant, Ernests Gulbis, but came through with top marks, 7-5, 6-3, 7-5.

Kim Clijsters Dominates Day 1 at the U.S. Open - Day 2 Preview Features Tall Order for Djokovic

Kim Clijsters serves notice that her retirement is O-V-E-R!

There were a few surprises on Day 1 at the 2009 United States Open Championships – some good and some bad. Let’s start with Kim Clijsters who wasn’t just good, she was great. It wasn’t that long ago that the 2005 U.S. Open Champion retired to have babies.

Well sheeeee’s back! The former number two player in the world put on a clinic at the Open on Day 1 with a 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Viktoria Kutuzova. She will be heavily favored in her next round against the Frenchwoman, 14th seeded Marion Bartoli. It’s hard to determine whether Clijsters is just that good or if the state of the game could use some help.

By winning his first round match on Day 1 at the U.S. Open, top-seeded Roger Federer became the first and only person in tennis history to win a record $50 million dollars in prize money. This was also his 35th straight win at the U.S. Open.

Andy Roddick doesn’t have quite the same resume as Federer, but he also breezed into the second round of the U.S. Open with a late night straight sets victory over Bjorn Phau 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

Not to be outdone, Serena Williams also booked her space into the second round of the U.S. Open with a straight sets victory of her own.

Her Big Sis, Venus Williams, had anything but an easy time -- as she had to dig deep to stave off elimination. She displayed the heart of a lion during the late night edition of Day 1 at the Open. Venus overcame a left knee issue and a spirited effort by Vera Dushevina by limping to a 3-set victory in their late night contest. It was later reported that Venus had issues with her left knee throughout the summer and tweaked it at the beginning of her match.

15th seeded Samantha Stosur nearly missed the second round after eaking out a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 over Japan’s Ai Sugiyama. It was the same story for Tommy Haas who overcame an afternoon of shaky play by barely beating Columbian qualifier Alejandro Falla.

Day Two provides some interesting matchups including a tough first round opponent for Novak Djokovic who faces former world number 3, Ivan Ljubicic. Djokovic leads their head-to-head meetings by a count of 3 to 1, but their matches are usually quite close. This match could go five sets and Novak needs to be on his toes for this one.

Second seeded Andy Murray faces the volatile Latvian named Ernests Gulbis. Gulbis has a big game that still hasn’t reached its potential and he is unlikely to have his coming out party against the likes of Murray.

The woman’s top seed, Dinara Safina is in action on Day 2 along with the fourth seed, Elena Dementieva. Neither one of these woman should be stressed out by their early round matches. The real trick for them would be overcoming anyone sporting the last name of Williams.

Roddick Will Falter on the Swiss Alps -- Beware the Dark Horse from Argentina

         Could Del Potro make a run at the 2009 US Open?

In the top half of the men’s draw, Andy Roddick finds himself on the same side as Roger Federer. Andy’s dismal record against Fed is not really worth repeating, but let’s give the American props if he advances to the semis to face Federer this year. Yes, Andy R. had a great Wimbledon and most Americans (myself included) hope he can break the SWISS curse at the US Open in 2009, but don’t count on it.

Nadal’s injury recharged Federer and gave him a new lease on his already storied tennis career. His confidence is sky-high since he took back the number one ranking winning both the French and Wimbledon this year. The only half decent threat to Federer before the semis is the young American and 22nd seed, Sam Querrey. Querrey had a terrific summer on the hard courts, but isn’t quite ready to conquer the Swiss Alps.

No one is even talking about the fourth seed, Novak Djokovic. It wasn't that long ago that Djokovich was being heralded as the next true force in tennis. Nobody is even whispering his name at this year's U.S. Open. That is a major oversight. Roddick would have to best Djokovic in the quarters just to get a shot at Fed.

What’s really interesting in the bottom half of the draw is my dark horse pick, Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina. This guy is a piece of work. He’s a giant that covers the court like a wide receiver. He serves lights out and could give second seeded Andy Murray the same treatment he got from Roddick at Wimbledon. The guy has no fear and fires winners from every position on the court. Many people say this might be Murray’s coming out party, but I’m putting my money on Del Potro. Whoops, no betting in tennis!

The bottom half of this draw is a nightmare for the third seeded Nadal who is trying to return from a variety of injuries. He has a rough first round clash with the Frenchman Richard Gasquet, once the number seven player in the world. If Nadal somehow advances into the quarters, he could run into another Frenchman, seventh seeded, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. I don’t see Nadal going that far anyway and I would be very surprised to see him make it to the second week of the 2009 Championships.